The Key, the Outlaw, and the Treasure

The Secret of the Hooked X
"What does that mean?"
"It's an untamed place where cowboys and Indians battle it out on
the desert plains," she said and made a dramatic gesture with her hand.
"Where outlaws ride into the sunset, escaping the sheriff close on their
heels."
"That's not true," he said.
"Yes, it is," she said. "Billy the Kid and Jesse James lived out there,
and you've heard of them."
"Well, yeah . . ."
"Then you know I'm not making it up. We will probably even see
an outlaw or two. They're all over out there," Anna said with a final
nod.
"What did I say about those stories, Anna?" Her mother's stern,
tight voice startled her. Anna glanced to the cabin door to see their
mother standing there with her hands resting on her hips. "You are
filling your brother's head with nonsense."
"See," William said, "I told you." Then he disappeared onto his
bunk above her.
Anna shook her head. What did they know, anyway? Her mother
was prim and proper, and William was just plain dumb, as most boys
were. They never read the books that she enjoyed and knew nothing
about the many tales of gunfighters and train robbers that populated
the West. When they arrived in New Mexico, she was sure that they
would need her help in adapting to the new environment. She was the
only one of them that knew anything about it.
A knock sounded at the door, and William jumped from his bunk,
landing with a thud. Before Anna or her mother could react, he rushed
to the door and opened it to see the steward. William was barely half
the man's height, but he puffed up his shoulders, straightened his back
and gave a little bow.
The steward held a bronze key with a number stamped in it. "Your
luggage case key," the man said and glanced over the boy and then to
their mother.
13